1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trap devices, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved yeast trap device for use in making fermented beverages. In the conventional method of making wine, a mixture of grape juice and water is placed in a rigid container such as a glass jug or an oak barrel. Yeast is added to the mixture to produce alcohol from a fermentation process. The yeast feeds on the sugar in the juice and turns it into carbon dioxide and alcohol. The carbon dioxide escapes as gas bubbles which rise to the top of the fermentation container. The yeast actually controls the sugar separation of alcohol and carbon dioxide. A juice containing 24% percent sugar will ferment into a beverage mixture of 12% alcohol. Thus, 50% of the sugar is converted to alcohol. The remaining 50% of the sugar escapes as carbon dioxide. During the primary fermentation process, the yeast and the carbon dioxide rise to the surface of the fermentation container and spill out the top opening thereof. Typical containers include wooden barrels, glass jugs or carboys. This results in a loss of juice mixture which requires a continual addition of make up juice to continue the fermentation process. This also allows the spent yeast to reenter the juice, even with the use of conventional airlocks. To hasten the completion of the fermentation process, the yeast must exhaust the supply of fermentable sugar and become dormant. With the reduction in the amount of the yeast present in the fermenting beverage mixture, a secondary fermentation process continues to transform remaining sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide with no liquid spillage from the fermentation container. After the fermentation process is completed, it is necessary to allow the fermented beverage mixture to settle for a protracted period of time to allow the wine to clear. There are many reasons why wines fail to clear of their own accord. The most common problem is the presence of a large quantity of suspended wine yeast. It is frequently necessary to allow the wine yeast to settle for periods as long as three to six months. Additionally, the presence of relatively large quantities of suspended yeast in the wine produce undesirable flavors. In order to solve these problems, the present invention provides a yeast trap device which is placed on the fermentation container on the first day of fermentation. The trap device allows carbon dioxide produce by fermentation of sugar in the juice to escape to the atmosphere and traps spent yeast while allowing the juice to reenter the fermentation container without any juice spillage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of trap devices are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a trap device for use in making fermented beverages is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,817, which issued to H. Barrett et al on Sept. 15, 1970. This patent discloses a resilient bladder of stretchable material in open communication with the fermenting mixture for trapping evolved gases. U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,884, which issued to H. Jandirch on May 21, 1985, discloses a wine fermentation apparatus for use with a fermentation vessel to control the fermentation process therein. The apparatus utilizes a container connected by a pair of fluid conduits to the fermentation vessel. The juice and yeast mixture flows upwardly from the fermentation vessel through one of the conduits into an accumulator container. There, contaminants settle in the accumulator container and the juice flows downwardly through the second conduit back into the fermentation vessel. The use of these plural conduits has been found to unduly agitate the yeast and juice mixture in the accumulator container. This prevents the excess yeast from settling out of the juice mixture. While the return conduit of this device is situated at a lower level within the accumulator container, in practice during the early fermentation process the juice mixture flows upwardly from the fermentation vessel through both of the conduits. The fluid flowing through the lower return conduit contains a stream of carbon dioxide which effervesces into the lower portion of the accumulator container which results in a remixing of the settled and trapped yeast with the juice mixture. Thus, the device of Jandirch fails to provide an effective yeast trap. U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,887, which issued to S. Hickinbotham on Oct. 7, 1986, discloses a fermentation apparatus for producing wine which utilizes sealable plastic bags which include a one way valve to allow release but not reentry of gases. The containers preferably contain solid carbon dioxide to expel air by vaporization of the solid carbon dioxide.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices provide a method of making a fermented beverage which utilizes a yeast trap having a fluid conduit with a circumferential array of drain apertures received within a trap container. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of trap devices, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such trap devices, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.